I stayed curled in the stall, knees pulled close, trying to slow my breathing. My fingers trembled as I unlocked my phone again, instinctively typing a quick text to Aaron even though I knew he was probably busy.
"I miss you. Hope you're okay đź’›"
I didn't expect a reply, not right away, but sending it made me feel... tethered. Just a little.
But then I heard voices. Laughter.
Those same girls from earlier. It was only two of them now, their heels tapping against the tiles, their giggles echoing like sharp little knives. At first, they talked about lipstick shades and how some influencer had her eyebrows microbladed wrong. I stayed still, hoping they'd finish and leave.
But then my name came up. And just like that, the chill returned.
"Ugh, you know Kina?" one of them said with a snort. "God she's so... plain. It's like she tries to pretend she doesn't know how pretty she could be. That whole clueless act is so fake."
I felt my chest tighten, my throat drying up. My fingers curled into the fabric of my jeans.
"Right? She always has that weird look on her face like she's lost or confused. I swear she does it on purpose to get attention, especially from the guys."
My heart dropped. They were talking about me like I was a pest, a joke.
"I've seen how she looks at Aaron," one of them added, lowering her voice like it was some dirty secret. "Like she's in love with him or something."
They burst into quiet giggles.
"Delusional much?" the other whispered. "Like Aaron would ever go for her. I mean... have you seen Katherine? That woman is gorgeous. Like full-on movie star hot. Aaron and Katherine make sense. Kina's just... sad."
I could hear my pulse in my ears. I didn't want to listen anymore, but I couldn't stop. My brain was scrambling for something, anything to hold onto.
He does love me. We're together. He just wants to keep it private, for now. He doesn't want me to get overwhelmed. Right? That's why he hasn't told anyone. That's why I have to wait.
Their voices cut through my spiraling thoughts again.
"She barely even has friends. It's honestly pathetic. No wonder no one talks to her."
"Yeah, she gives off this weird, clingy, loner vibe. I wouldn't want to sit next to her either."
My stomach clenched so violently I nearly folded over. A wave of nausea rose in my throat and I covered my mouth with both hands. My whole body started to sweat, hot and cold at once, and I couldn't tell if it was the cramps or the humiliation or both.
I gagged quietly, struggling not to make a sound. But it was too late.
Silence fell outside the stall. Then...
"...Kina?"
They knew. I didn't answer. I couldn't.
"I thought so," one of them muttered, voice dripping with disdain. "Just stay in there. Stay the nobody you are."
Their heels clicked as they left, laughing under their breath.
And then they were gone.
The moment the door closed behind them, I let out a sound, something between a gasp and a sob. I pressed my forehead to my knees, shaking.
I didn't even realize I was crying until I tasted salt.
And my stomach had knotted so hard that I couldn't stop it when my whole guts came rushing out of my mouth.
...
I stared down at the mess in the sink, my stomach still convulsing even though there was nothing left to bring up. My throat burned, my eyes were glassy, and Kieran's five-star meal now looked like a crime scene. The words from the break room were still echoing in my head like some cruel chant I couldn't silence.
"Maybe he's planning to propose…"
A ring. God. What if it was a ring?
I rinsed my mouth out with cold water and splashed some on my face, pressing my trembling hands against the cool sink basin to steady myself. Get a grip, Kina. I told myself that I was just being paranoid. He was probably busy. He was always busy. That's what men like him did, work, vanish, reappear when they wanted.
Still, I found myself walking like a ghost back to my desk, trying to pretend everything was fine. But it wasn't.
I picked up my phone. My fingers moved without thinking.
Me: Hey… can we talk later? Just whenever you're free.
I watched the little status shift. Read. Okay. He saw it. That's good. That means… something.
But no reply came.
Five minutes passed. Ten.
So I sent another one.
Me: I hope you're not mad about anything. I just… I miss you, I guess.
And just like that, the status reverted to delivered. Not read. Not anything. Just silence.
My stomach tightened again.
I buried myself in some report that didn't matter, fingers tapping the keyboard like I could drown out the whirring in my head. But the words blurred, numbers danced, and my heart just kept aching in this quiet, humiliating way.
Please text me back. Please just say something.
Time felt like sludge.
Then, my phone rang.
I jumped for it, my chest soaring, Aaron?
But it wasn't him.
It was Kara.
Fucking Kara. My younger sister.
I sighed, already wanting to hang up, but I picked it up anyway.
"What?"
Her voice came sharp and rude, "Don't you ever keep me waiting like that again. You know I don't have time for this nonsense."
"Then why the hell are you calling me?" I bit back, rubbing my temple.
She scoffed like I was the dramatic one. "I'm downstairs. In the lobby. Mother asked me to drop something off for you, unfortunately. Can you come get it? I'm not climbing your disgusting office stairs."
Ugh. I didn't even ask what it was. I just stood, grabbed my phone and my dead dignity, and made my way down to the lobby like some obedient little loser.
And there she was.
Kara Thorne.
In all her perfectly manicured, designer-dripping, hazel-eyed glory. A carbon copy of Mom, right down to the smug, rich-girl energy and that effortlessly fake smile that had always made me feel like mold on her expensive shoes.
She was leaning way too close to one of the senior staff members, batting her lashes like he was some B-list celeb and she was doing him a favor just breathing in his direction.
I slowed down as I approached, already bracing for the embarrassment, the way they always acted like I was invisible or worse, an inconvenience.
She didn't even acknowledge me at first, just kept laughing at whatever that man was saying, her fingers brushing his sleeve in that flirty, saccharine way that made my skin crawl.
I had to clear my throat. Twice.
Finally, I asked, "Why are you here, Kara?"
Before she could speak, the man turned to me with an annoyed glare. "That's no way to talk to your sister. She's here doing you a favor."
I blinked at him, stunned for a second.
Kara gasped, so fake, so fucking rehearsed and smiled at him sweetly, clutching her designer purse. "It's okay, Mr. Denton. I'm used to it. Kina's always like this to me. I guess being the younger sister, it just… comes with the territory."
She even added a soft giggle.
Mr. Denton gave me a disapproving look and muttered something about manners before walking off, probably to log the whole scene into the gossip archives of the office.
And as soon as he was out of earshot…
That smile dropped.
Kara turned to me with narrowed eyes, her voice cold as glass. "God, you're pathetic."
I clenched my fists. "What did you come here to drop off?"
She dug into her pristine handbag and pulled out a small box wrapped in our mom's favorite golden wrapping paper. "Here. Whatever's in there, I didn't look. I don't care. She made me come."
I snatched the box without a word.
She smirked. "Did some guy break your heart again?"
I looked up sharply, but she just flipped her perfect chestnut hair over her shoulder and turned to leave.
"I'd say I'm sorry," she tossed over her shoulder, "but I'd be lying."